Lionsgate has unveiled a new featurette titled "Meet Haymitch" for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, offering fans the first proper look at Joseph Zada portraying a young Haymitch Abernathy on his birthday, July 4. The footage introduces Zada's portrayal of the District 12 tribute, originally played by Woody Harrelson in the blockbuster Hunger Games films, and provides fresh glimpses of Haymitch as he prepares to compete in the deadly 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell.
Prequel Setting and Story
The prequel is based on Suzanne Collins' bestselling novel of the same name and is set 24 years before the events of the original The Hunger Games. The story follows 16-year-old Haymitch after he is selected as one of four tributes from District 12 in a special edition of the Games, where each district must send twice the usual number of competitors. The featurette hints at the emotional stakes surrounding his family, friends, and girlfriend, Lenore Dove, before he is thrust into the Capitol's brutal arena.
Ensemble Cast and Creative Team
Alongside Zada, the film features an ensemble cast including Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Jesse Plemons as Plutarch Heavensbee, Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Ralph Fiennes as President Coriolanus Snow, Maya Hawke as Wiress, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee Latier, and Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle. Francis Lawrence, who directed every Hunger Games film since Catching Fire, returns to helm the project from a screenplay by Billy Ray. The film adapts Collins' latest novel, which became an instant bestseller following its release earlier this year.
Release Date and Marketing
The latest featurette follows an earlier teaser trailer and gives audiences a closer look at Haymitch before his transformation into the cynical mentor fans first met in the original franchise. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on November 20, 2026.
